I spend alot of time cruising the internet in an effort to promote this blog and to find us new stuff. Well I think I have found the Ultimate Outdoor Site
What I found was an outdoor site called My Outdoor TV .com
Now if you are anything like me you love those hunting videos. Also like me you love learning more about hunting. Than this is the place for you, too. Some of the best shows on TV are here for your reference and enjoyment. The cool thing is……it’s free!!!!! No subscriptions…no dish network/direct tv bills……and the cable company can’t jack your rates every three months or so.

Well to be quite honest I hate TV!!!! THAT STUPID BLACK BOX CAN SIT THERE IN THE CORNER AND ROT!! I don’t have cable or satellite and it mostly gets used to watch DVD’s or Tapes. Well it looks like it is going to see alot less use than that from here on. (Wifey may not agree, so I reserve the right to recant should my life become endangered.)

You have to try the site……..
PS. THIS IS A NON-PAID ENDORSEMENT……..JUST DO IT!!!!!

Hey folks its April 10th 2009…….and I want to go fishing!!!!

My river is in Flood stage…..the lakes are adrift in ice slush and chunky. NOAA says the floods are North into the valley, the St. John Valley. The Aroostook,St Croix and St. John are overflowing. The ice is tryng to leave but …….still no fishing.

Tulips are up and the robins are singing. The ducks are back and quacking across the sky. All signalling the coming of our favorite season.

MUD SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!!

Loggers pack it in and go home….their shutting down the woods.

Lakers……bide your time. The ice is trying to break up in area lakes. Get your boat ready!!

Rivermen……the waters will fall and rise once more before they settle for the season. The second flood will leave and the trout will rise anew on the falling waters of late May and early June.

Aroostook's Fiddleheads are coming!!!!

eagle cam

Here are a few pics my buddy Pete sent over…….enjoy.

The eagle has landed!!!

So beautiful!!!

The Lord of the feast!!!!

As you have probably noticed I have been abscent alot lately. As it happens I am hunting my butt off. As with my fishing endeavors. I have put all of that a little ahead of the weekly blogging. After all I have to have something to write about. I work a night job and run my own business during the days. The construction business is taking alot of time this summer and has done quite well. But now we are coming into the slowing down side of one enterprise. Affording me the opportunity to write and tell you about my beautiful Aroostook County.

I have been out scouting two to three times per week for the last month. Between my love for bears and deer hunting. I have been trying to locate a good spot for my stand. Speaking of stands, I just bought a new one. A Wolverine Climber made by Gorilla. It’s the same as the Kong Greyback. But sold exclusively through the Walmart chain. Got a great deal and used my discount, I work there at night. Added a few little touches to make it mine. Changed out the web seat for a well padded plywood plank, bolted on. Covered in some realtree camo leather a buddy gave me. (Thank you Dan!!!!) Added a bow rest to it too to keep the bow handy. Mounts on the platform, and vinyl covered to keep things quiet.

In the process of scouting out some new ground my buddy Ivan and I found me a bear to tag a little later. A good eating bear is about 150 lbs. Those big monsters are not worth the time to cut and wrap them. We already have a bait placed for me to kill one out of. Ivan will be videoing it for posterity. But a backup plan is always a great idea. In this same area we also located some great trails to watch and some good stand trees. In one place we are looking at using a ground blind to hunt and video out of.

So I have been doing alot of field work to make this a more realistic and entertaining blog. My goal here is to be a source of true and realistic information on Aroostook County Life.  There are alot of sites out there that try to portray life here but do so through the eyes of someone from “away”. I am not from there but born and raised right here. So my perspective is a little different.

From what I have seen our trail system is quite well mantained here in the county and if you are an ATV fan and a hunter. Well the trail system is your best bet for lots of action on and off the trails. As any experienced woodsman will tell you. The hardest part of getting around in the back country is the access. The ATV trails and Sled trails allow all of us access to areas not general accessible otherwise. If you are looking for new hunting grounds. Grab a trail map at your local convenience store and look for trails in your desired area. All of these trails are “public access points”. That is to say these trails are open to everyone. Now the land on either side of the trails may be posted agianst hunting. But you can still access the land beyond it by walking or riding the trails. In areas posted as “no hunting”….empty your gun…sling it on your back and don’t reload it until you have walked out into unposted land. If you have any doubts as to whether or not you are on posted land… keep going. The last thing you want is a problem with a land owner.

 You may want to back off completely and approach the landowner before crossing the land. Letting him know you are respecting his right to post and at the same time you are only crossing his/her land by way of the public access granted. By allowing the ATV and or snowtrails to cross the property. If you are on an ATV or sled you are exempt from this added step…but it wouldn’t hurt.

(The access was granted to sledders and or ATV riders. Therefore a walker may not be granted the same right to access. CHECK THE LAW AND ASK BEFORE CROSSING !!!!!!! )

The core of this is that atv and sled trails open up vast areas to explore for hunters and anglers alike. For the most part these trails are open to mountain bikers and foot traffic as well.

A new area to explore also lends itself to added excitement and enjoyment. Giving you new experiences and testing your skills at tracking and reading sign.  As well as reading water to catch more fish.  It is all of those things compiled together that make us Lewis and Clarks in our own backyards.  For me its the discovery that keeps me jazzed on fishing and hunting. I love to explore and I have often found myself miles from where I started asking myself…….”am I getting too old for this?” To know in my heart that I wouldn’t do it any other way.

So dig out that trail map or topo and taker a trip into the unknown. Put some excitement back into your outings and find new places. Remember the compass or GPS, so you can get back home. But go out into these “unknown” places and get to know them. Each new discovery could lead you to that buck of a lifetime, or just a really good memory.

Here are a few pics from my buddy (Mehunter) over on Maine Hunting Today.  Dave Kirton was nice enough to let me publish his bait set pics here so you can see the bears that are showing up. He hails from Sanford Maine, and is a true Maine Bear man. Even when he’s away ..he thinks about our bears.

These are typical shots of a young bear feasting at the baits. The bait of choice changes with each hunter but most use sweets and breads. A good smattering of bacon grease and cornsyrup to leave scent trails coming to and from the baits. The older bears know what they like and often allow younger bears to raid the bait first..to be sure it’s safe. The average size for bear taken in Maine is about 175lbs. Based on MDIFW stats and game inspection station surveys. Now there are some huge bears out there. I recently read about a bear in the 468 lb. category being weighed in Presque Isle.

Now whether you bait or not you have to understand the need for baiting as a population control measure. Look at it also from the ethical standpoint of providing the best situation for clean humane kills.  MDIFW will tell you bear baiters kill 80% of all the bears and their efforts are what the biologists count on to control population and maintain their eco-models.

From a hunters standpoint, I don’t feel rushed on a bait. I can take my time and get the best possible shot or let it walk away. You can also be pickier about your bear. Letting the smaller bears walk away after they eat and wait for grand dad to show up.  In some cases Iknoe hunters who use buckets instead of barrels. the idea here is to make the bears reach up and work to get the bait. Providing a better angle to the chest and creating more of a distraction for the bear. Letting the hunter get his bow or gun up unnoticed.

If you hunt..support the bear men. United we stand!! ( come on over:

 Maine hunting

      Red Squirrel distribution map

Since I was a small boy I have pursued reds all over Northern Maine. Far more common here than greys. These pesky little tree rats are huntable all year and are not the easiest things to shoot. Due in part to there small size and quick movements. A sniper approach with a 22 long gun or pistol has worked best for me. A shotgun would be equally effective but the cost for shells would exceed the benefit. You see I have always shot the squirrels not so much to eat, since they taste like pine pitch. But for their tails to dress flies and spinners for fishing. In fact I have collected tails on numerous occasions just to trade them at Mepps for new fishing lures.

An added benefit if done early enough in the season. Is to reduce their population in aresa where I plan on deer hunting in November. The little sentries have ruined more than one hunt for me in the past.

Where available the bigger grey squirrels are not only superior tail wise but are far better fare to eat. Located all over the state a good population outside most towns and parks is a rare thing. It has never ceased to amaze me how many of them I see around town but so few in the woods. Even here in Houlton it is still true. Out in the woods I see very few of these big and fat well furred greys. Reds are everywhere.

Now imagine you sneak in on this big grey pictured above. This momma squirrel would make for a hard but reasonable shot. Strictly a head shot or you ruin too much meat. That’s the challenge here, nothing but head shots or you waste to much meat. But with the reds..that are unedible. Take the chest or head.

                              Remember, every squirrel is a trophy

Long after the hunts are gone you will still remember them. The flies you cast all summer for years to come will remind you of the hunts. The frozen squirrel meat in your freezer will warm your stomach in stews all winter. So these may not weigh 200 lbs… but yes Bubba these are trophy critters too!

Where to hunt?

In finding a good squirrel wood I look for mast. Things like beechnuts and acorns are essential. For reds you look for pinestands and cedar swamp areas. Reds leave behind little piles of kernels from shucking pine cones 24/7. Seeing these on a stump is a real good sign that they are there.

The best way to shoot squirrels is to combine silent sitting and sniping with calling. For greys I would suggest you use a commerial bellows call. Lohman makes a really effective one. You can pound it against your leg for barks, lightly tap it for chirps and shake it for that excited chortle of aggression the sound out with. Now for reds I just do it the old fashion way. I start by puckering up and making that smacky kind of kissing sound on the back of my hand. (chirps) Then I place my hands up to my mouth to form an echo chamber and do the same sound louder into the cupped hands. Moving my hands changes the tone and pitch.  Alternating between an inhale and an exhale alters pitch as well. The chortle sound they make id the true “insult” you throw at them that makes them come. After listening to thousands of reds I can usually incite them to come to me and the gun. With practice this basic mouth calling will enable you to do it as well. Now I have to warn you in the beginning kissing your hand and making these “wierd” noises will have people looking at you funny. But that ceases as you get better and the reds come ot of the woodwork and try to pick a fight with you. You see the calls mimic a rivalry. Reds are territorial and will defend their homes. I use that warring against them. I can walk into any wood that has them in it and call him to me 99.9% of the time. But you still have to hit’em. My current weapon of choice is a scoped 22 mag Ruger single six. Shooting hollowpoints to reduce down range negatives if the bullet passes through or I miss. They are very frangible and a tree trunk always stops them. I intentionally wait for shots with a tree trunk backstop.

Another really good squirrel gun is the Marlin/Glenfield M60 semiauto. Mine killed several hundred squirrels. Along with some other notable guns like the Winchester M120 autoloader, a Remington nylon 66, High Standard Duramatic pistol, and a Savage M121 Cadet. The Savage was a singleshot..my first rifle. That little 22lr shooting piece of youthful memorabelia killed coon,partridge, squirrels,and a couple of pigs.

What you shoot doesn’t matter. Just get out there and have some fun. Essentially squirrel hunting is just fun with some meat thrown in to keep you nourished. Not to mention all the flies you can tye and the hours of fishing that result from that. Add into that the fact that most hunters don’t shoot squirrels so you have an untapped resource available. What more could you want? Need a further incentive…Mepps still buys tails.

I’ll even go so far as to make you an offer. If you send me your latest squirrel adventure along with pics. I’ll post them here so we can share them with everyone.

Despite many reports outside Maine of Human bear conflict. Bears in Maine are not the fearsome brutes often portrayed in other states. For the most part bears in Maine are well fed and well mannered. Accept for the occassional incedent involving campers feeding bears by leaving their food in tents or on the ground. Bears are curious animals and once you teach them where there is an easy meal they will keep coming back for more. The thing here is to not teach them that your tent is their new pantry. Always store food up out of reach at your campsite. The use of bear lines in Baxter is a good example of the precautions necessary to keep the bears wild and not feeding out of you cooler.

These tendancies of bears to look for an easy meal has lead hunters to baiting them. A time honored method that allows a hunter to size up the bear and get a good clean shot. Resulting in far less woundings than in still hunting. This “management” of the bears results in older bears being culled selectively and younger bears being allowed to walk away to grow larger.

How to Bait:

Look for a game trail that bears are using moving to and from feeding areas. Select a place with good cover so they will be relaxed. As far in advance as possible haul in a barrel. (Get landowner permission !!!!!) Chain it to a tree, and fill it partially with tasty sweets like donuts and pastry. Skip the smelly meats and scraps. They draw in too many other carion eaters like raccoons and Coyotes.

Your barrel should not have the end wide open, instead there should only be a small 12 to 13 inch hole cut. This makes the bear work a little to get at the goodies inside. Be sure to rebait every 24 to 48 hours. Dropping a little ouside the  barrel to tease them into digging out the rest.

Now place your treestand within 20 yards of the barrel for bow shooters and fifty yards for gun shooters. Check your shooting lanes and range key landmarks to help you shoot better.  If you want to you can place food scents or such on key stumps or logs previously ranged. This insures a standing shot, no guessing and is by far more humane than guessing a distance and not killing it as cleanly as possible.

To insure your bears are coming to the bait, try doing a honey burn. It is nothing more than taking a pie plate and a can of sterno. Pour some honey in the pan and light the sterno. Cook it off and let the smoke drift away. This will call to the hungry stomachs of every bear in the area.  To add more atraction to the bait use grain with molasses on alternate days and don’t forget to douse any bait with “fryolator oil”.(Your local Mickey D’s or Burger K will gladly sell you or give you a 5 galllon bucket of theirs.) Bacon grease and french fry oil get all over the bears and as they leave the area they leave a scent trail that leads back to the bait. These smells will lead many more bears to your bait.

If you want to go to the next level try specific scent products intended to draw bears to your baits, or to be used solely as bait. ( Dale over at Boarmasters has the best dry scent products on the market.)

One last thing: Shot placement is critical with bears. Unlike deer their vitals are higher up in their chests. Click on the graphc below to read it easier and you’ll see the lung/chest placement clearly.

Thank you Maryland DNR for the use of the cool graphic.

(click on image to enlarge)

7/30/2007 Supplemental:

Don’t forget to bring your video camera, lots of bears will come and go. Save the memories on tape. Baiting is a waiting game. That trophy might not show….. but the video will let you share the experience with others. If you can you can also monitor your baits with a trail cam and see what comes in when you aren’t there. The time stamp will let you know the best times to hunt, or when to rebait to get the bears on your schedule. The bears will be waiting for you to rebait once they have been conditioned to feed there. So when you rebait can ring the dinner bell to get them to come earlier in the good light. Figure on baiting in the mornings.

Not to make you nervous; but it is common for bears to wait in the nearby cover for you to make your deliveries. They mean you no harm and will wait for you to leave before they expose themselves. If you hunt with a partner, make him come along when baiting, or carry an article of clothing worn by him so they get used to both of your scents.  In the case of  ”sports” all you can do is sneak them into the bait as scent free as possible and get them up the tree as quickly and as silently as possible. Then feed the bears and leave as you have always done, so they are not spooked. The bears will wait for the baiter to leave and slip into the bait within minutes after he leaves. As a hunter be aware of this, and be ready.

Hey folks…. back online again after almost a month…lost my DSL modem and my computer in a freak thunderstorm. New Dsl modem is up and going and backup computer is doing fine. Had to move from my old home in a hurry do to a landlords desire to sell the house out from under us… but we got moved into another house. It don’t rain but it pours………… watch here for updated stories over the next few days and I promise ……..no more drama.

Like a canoe, a computer can only carry you if the medium can be reached and is deep enough. So My canoe floats and my computer boots….. now if i just could get that shed cleared out enough to turn into a den space, so i can tye flies again this summer. Moving stinks…….

Just curious to see how many Mainers have climbed our mountain.

1. Where on the mountain…… what trial?

2. What did you see that left the greatest impression ?

3. What’s an “URT” ?

4. What’s your favorite climb ?

5. Any tips for new hikers on your trail of preference ?